To order, go to folding boxes. This guide is about choosing a style and a board, which is where most of the cost and most of the practical problems live.
Choosing the style by how it closes
| Style | How it closes | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Straight tuck end | Both tuck flaps fold from the back panel | A clean front face with no visible flap edge |
| Reverse tuck end | Flaps fold from opposite panels | Efficient material use, the common economical choice |
| Seal end | Glued closed after filling | Automated filling and visible tamper evidence |
| Auto bottom or crash lock | Pre-glued base pops into shape | Fast hand packing and heavier contents |
| Tuck top snap lock bottom | Base folded by hand in sequence | Moderate weight without the glued base cost |
Details on the two base options are on what a crash lock base is, and on the top closure at what a tuck flap is.
Board grain, the thing nobody mentions
Paperboard fibres line up in one direction during manufacture, which gives the sheet a grain. A fold running along the grain creases smoothly. A fold running across it fights the fibres and is more likely to crack along the score, and that crack shows white through dark ink or a laminate. A good layout takes grain direction into account when it places the panels on the sheet, which is part of what design support is for on an iBox order. If you have seen cracking on a previous supplier's cartons, grain direction and the score rule are the first two things to look at.
Board grade and caliper
- SBS. White through the thickness with the best print surface. The choice when the carton is the face of the product. See what SBS board is.
- Coated recycled board. A recycled body with a coated white print face. The economical workhorse for retail cartons.
- Kraft. Unbleached and brown, strong for its weight, with a deliberately natural look.
- Caliper. Quoted in points, where one point is one thousandth of an inch. Heavier feels more substantial and costs more per unit, and beyond a point it stops creasing cleanly at small carton sizes.
Why folding boxes suit most brands
They ship flat, so freight and storage cost a fraction of an assembled rigid box. They erect quickly at the bench. They take print well across the whole surface. And because the cutting die is included on iBox orders, the structure can be cut to your product rather than to a near-enough stock size, which reduces void fill and improves how the product presents when the carton is opened.
What to send for a quote
Internal length x width x depth, marked as internal. The style you want, or a description of how it will be filled and by whom. The filled weight. The board and caliper if you know it, or a note asking for a recommendation. Artwork as vector files with fonts outlined, or a note that you need design support. That set is enough to quote accurately without a round of questions.
Ordering
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, with the die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof included. Three lanes are available: rush with expedited production and air freight, standard on air, and cost saver by sea, from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. We produce at West Chicago and at Guangzhou.
Order from the folding boxes page, or send your dimensions and style through the quote form and we will return a dieline to check before anything is cut.
